Second guessing everything! Windsor, Waterloo and the Tube

[ColoradoMom!!]

We chose a Waterloo hotel based on proximity to the station for an early August 2024 pre-cruise stay.  I reasoned to spend the extra $$ and do a transfer excursion with International Friends to Windsor Castle on Saturday, Aug 3rd en route to Southampton.  My compromise was to save money by taking the Elizabeth line from LHR when we arrive (about 11:00 am on a Wednesday, T2) to Bond Street and either take a taxi from there or transfer to the Jubilee line to our Waterloo hotel. Do I have that right? Two adults - late 50's, just one rolling suitcase each. I am thinking the Elizabeth line for the extra room with luggage and the rumors of it being cooler in the August heat.

 

Now the splurge  (US $335 for both of us) on the way to Southampton is looking like a poor choice.  We would be picked up about 7:30 am on Saturday Aug 3rd, and the description given by International Friends includes many pick up stops before we even head to the Windsor Castle and then has us arriving in Southampton by 13:30 to 14:00.  So....guessing very little time at the castle and probable large crowds on a Saturday.  Do we give up one of our touring days in London and take the train from Waterloo to the Castle?  I did like the idea of using our transfer day to visit a site though. Then again, I chose Waterloo location to take advantage of the train to Southampton. 

 

Any advice/insight would be appreciated!

[markeb]

First of all, take some deep breaths and calm down. You're way out from the cruise and have all kinds of time! The only time I've been to Windsor I did it from a Heathrow airport, but Google Maps and the British National Railway web page can be your friend.

 

The Waterloo hotel is fine. I'm a little iffy on the Elizabeth line to Bond Street as you'll be transferring anyway, but it is airconditioned. You're paying a premium to leave Heathrow and in some ways that's probably most valuable if you're staying along the Elizabeth line. The last time we took the Elizabeth Line to Bond Street we were staying in Grosvenor Square (easy walk). I don't know about taxi ranks at Bond Street. What hotel have you booked? If you're eventually going to be in a cab anyway, you probably need to open the aperture to all options. It may be just as easy to stay elsewhere and take the cab to Waterloo on Saturday. How long are you in London? What else do you want to do?

 

The timeline you're giving is going to be a rapid tour of Windsor. Does it include the Castle? Depending on your level of interest, you can spend hours at the castle, and that doesn't include walking through Windsor itself or over to Eton. So, yes, that sounds a bit rushed to me. Unfortunately, that becomes the "take them to Windsor because they want to go to Windsor" tour, which International Friends isn't really known for. Others may disagree. You can get to Windsor by train during your stay. National Rail's web page suggests Paddington to Slough to Windsor/Eton. But yet it's probably a day of your visit. Again, how long are you there and what are your priorities?

 

If you don't mind, list out your overall plans. I hate to say it, but odds are you have too much scheduled already. That's fine. It's eight months from now. Windsor is a fun visit. It was also a great place to sit and have a pint. That trip probably won't afford you that option...

 

Again, relax. You're visiting one of the greatest cities in the world. Allow some time to just enjoy being there!

[Globaliser]

9 hours ago, ColoradoMom!! said:

We chose a Waterloo hotel ...

 

Which hotel? It does have a bearing on the merits of your proposed route from Heathrow.

[Cotswold Eagle]

9 hours ago, markeb said:

You can get to Windsor by train during your stay. National Rail's web page suggests Paddington to Slough to Windsor/Eton.

There is a direct service twice an hour from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside. 

 

[There are two 'Windsor & Eton' stations close by each other - Central, which is the one you are referring to, and Riverside]

Edited January 30 by Cotswold Eagle

[Cotswold Eagle]

11 hours ago, ColoradoMom!! said:

I am thinking the Elizabeth line for the extra room with luggage and the rumors of it being cooler in the August heat.

The only rail service with actual luggage racks serving Heathrow is the Heathrow Express. The Elizabeth Line trains are 'metro style', but perhaps more comfortable than the stock on the Piccadilly tube line (they are air conditioned, as you say). The picture half way down this page will give you an idea of a moderately busy Elizabeth line train. 

 

The Elizabeth Line is not the panacea to travel into central London from Heathrow that some folk would have you believe (for a start that is not its primary purpose). It makes most sense if you are heading right across London or somewhere close to an Elizabeth Line station in town. Changing at Bond Street suggests to me this might not be an optional routing... 😀 

[John Bull]

International Friends is a trusted and long-established coach operator, comments on Cruise Critic about their cruise tour-transfers are overwhelmingly positive. 

You won't be spending half the day on a scenic tour of London hotels - they use several vehicles for pick-ups, then transfer to the tour coach en-route.

 

But they don't quote how long at Windsor - this will of course depend on any delays before the coach arrives in Windsor, and reports of any delays between Windsor and Southampton.

A small worry is that on a summer saturday the route to Southampton is usually clogged with Londoners heading out of the big bad city to the south coast - but the scheduled arrival time is at least 60 to 90 minutes ahead of latest check-in time.

Like any responsible transfer organisation their priority is getting you to your ship in good time.

 

I'll hazard a guess that on average the time spent at Windsor is about two hours - "sufficient" for just the castle but not generous.

Guides aren't permitted in the castle - you can employ a castle guide but most folk are happy with the audio-guide

On the other hand if Windsor is a priority it avoids the loss of a day in London.

 

A day-trip to Windsor from London would be a much more leisurely affair - about 6 hours, more if you cut into the evening.

As you're probably aware there are direct trains from Waterloo station to Windsor Riverside station, a 5 - 8 minute walk from the castle entrance. Broadly half-hourly service, journey time just under an hour e/w, £16 return pp.

 

In summary a day-trip to Windsor from your London hotel. then a train to Southampton on the morning of your sailing day would be cheaper, more in-depth and more leisurely.

But you'd lose a sight-seeing day in London.

Those are the choices, but we can't choose for you. Your choice might depend on how many days between flying in and sailing out.

 

(BTW - if you choose to travel to Southampton by train, "advance" train tickets are half the cost of the walk-up fares but come with a caveat. Ask again if you're not clear about this)

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited January 30 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

43 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

The only rail service with actual luggage racks serving Heathrow is the Heathrow Express. The Elizabeth Line trains are 'metro style', but perhaps more comfortable than the stock on the Piccadilly tube line (they are air conditioned, as you say).

 

And there's actually more designated luggage space on the Piccadilly Line than on the Elizabeth Line, although it's dual-use space in that it can be used for standing when there's no luggage there. But the space is designated - and if you're starting your journey at Heathrow then you will almost certainly find both luggage space and a seat for yourself:

 

[dickinson]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

(BTW - if you choose to travel to Southampton by train, "advance" train tickets are half the cost of the walk-up fares but come with a caveat. Ask again if you're not clear about this)

 

JB 🙂

 

May I ask what the caveat is?  We are planning our pre cruise stay in London and checking out options to get to Southampton.

[newport dave]

16 minutes ago, dickinson said:

May I ask what the caveat is?  We are planning our pre cruise stay in London and checking out options to get to Southampton.

The caveat is, to get the cheapest ticket you need to book a specific timed train.  If you miss that one your ticket is useless and you then have to pay the 'on the day' full ticket price which can be expensive.

[dickinson]

11 minutes ago, newport dave said:

The caveat is, to get the cheapest ticket you need to book a specific timed train.  If you miss that one your ticket is useless and you then have to pay the 'on the day' full ticket price which can be expensive.

Thank you!

[John Bull]

45 minutes ago, dickinson said:

May I ask what the caveat is?  We are planning our pre cruise stay in London and checking out options to get to Southampton.

 

 

"Advance" tickets have to be bought from about 8 weeks out (up to 12 weeks on some routes). Sometimes they're available as close as the day before travel, sometimes not available a week or more out.

The major drawback is that they're only good for the train time that you've booked - fine if for instance you're staying at a hotel reasonably accessible to the station, you have no excuse for missing the train. But if for instance you're flying into London Gatwick (LGW) and booking a train from there to Southampton you have no control over flight cancellation or delay, or the time to pass thro the airport formalities. In those circumstances you risk wasting your tickets, or sitting at Gatwick station for an hour or two because you were too cautious about the timing. (Trains from LHR to Southampton aren't a viable option)

Advance tickets aren't amendable or refundable - if you don't get on your chosen train your tickets are trash.

 

Since you're lodging in London pre-cruise cheap "advance" tickets to Southampton or Dover make sense.

 

JB 🙂

ps Dammit - Welsh Dave beat me to it 🙃

[markeb]

3 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

There is a direct service twice an hour from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside. 

 

[There are two 'Windsor & Eton' stations close by each other - Central, which is the one you are referring to, and Riverside]

 

Thanks. I saw the two stations, but I've only been by the Windsor and Eton station (I think) and wasn't sure where Riverside was. But if they're staying near Waterloo and can get direct service to Windsor, that's even better.

[Globaliser]

11 minutes ago, markeb said:

I saw the two stations, but I've only been by the Windsor and Eton station (I think) and wasn't sure where Riverside was. But if they're staying near Waterloo and can get direct service to Windsor, that's even better.

 

For clarity:

• one station is called Windsor and Eton Riverside. This has trains to/from London Waterloo on a route via Clapham Junction, Richmond and Staines, operated by South Western Railway.
• the other station is called Windsor and Eton Central. This has trains to/from Slough, operated by Great Western Railway; that is only one station away so it is literally a shuttle service.

[ColoradoMom!!]

OP Here.

 

Thanks for all the wonderful responses !  Wow.  And among them JB - you summed it up best 

7 hours ago, John Bull said:

In summary a day-trip to Windsor from your London hotel. then a train to Southampton on the morning of your sailing day would be cheaper, more in-depth and more leisurely.

But you'd lose a sight-seeing day in London.

Those are the choices, but we can't choose for you.

We are staying at the Hampton by Hilton Waterloo.

 

We arrive about 11 am on Wed. July 31, and leave Saturday morning for Southampton for the cruise.

I haven't made any other plans for our stay and was trying to nail down the LHR to hotel, and then the hotel to Southampton first.  Private transfers and taxi's from LHR are pretty costly, so I'd like to take the train to cut the cost but realize I will need to transfer at some point - so the thought of taking a taxi from the closest stop to the hotel and avoiding a transfer sounded reasonable.  

 

After looking at the number of ships in port when we depart Southampton on Saturday Aug 3rd (4 including the Iona) the train is looking better.  I found International Friends through all the great recommendations here on CC (as JB mentioned) but with traffic and limited time at Windsor  - and it being an easy shot from Waterloo, maybe we will do it on our own.

 

So I guess I am left with needing any other insight for LHR to hotel by train.  Sounds like my assumption of the Elizabeth line may not be the best after all?  Again, open to a taxi from to avoid a transfer and enjoy the drop at the door of the hotel so to speak.

[markeb]

1 hour ago, ColoradoMom!! said:

So I guess I am left with needing any other insight for LHR to hotel by train.  Sounds like my assumption of the Elizabeth line may not be the best after all?  Again, open to a taxi from to avoid a transfer and enjoy the drop at the door of the hotel so to speak.

 

You can definitely get there by Tube. The trick that I'm not an expert at is finding transfer points with lifts or escalators, or cross platform transfers. I'm not sure that's Bond Street. The Elizabeth line has escalators and lifts everywhere. Along with AC, that's one of the best things about it. But if you're traveling onward, you have to connect to other Tube lines. Google Maps, for instance, suggests Elizabeth Line to Bond Street and transfer to the Jubilee Line. There are also options on the Piccadilly Line. If the time is about the same, the Piccadilly line is half the cost of the Elizabeth line. Where you really need the local knowledge is where to transfer with minimal steps and ideally no stairs.

 

A car service will be the simplest but likely most expensive. They'll pick you up at the airport and drop you at your hotel. A cab on the meter will do the same, but if you're stuck in traffic, you're paying to sit. 

 

I love the Heathrow Express, but I wouldn't recommend it for your trip. You'd have to transfer to the Underground at Paddington, or pay for a cab the rest of the way. Unfortunately the cab would go through the congestion zone. That's going to be the same from Bond Street; the cab to Waterloo on a bad day could be as expensive as a car service all the way from Heathrow. (I'm hoping that's an exaggeration, but that was close to my experience the one time I did that...)

 

Have you looked at the London Toolkit? https://www.londontoolkit.com/ ? Great source of information. In 2024 you can also find a lot of videos on YouTube on getting to and from Heathrow (try Love and London). It's obviously a pretty common question. 

 

 

[John Bull]

 

I rarely venture into the big bad city, the Elizabeth line is quite new & I've not yet travelled on it.

 

One route is the Piccadilly tube line from Heathrow - as @Globaliser's post it's the start of the line so no trouble getting seats & luggage together. Buy tickets to Westminster / Zone One.

Easy cross-platform change at Baron's Court to the District line.

Off that District line train at Westminster.

 

From Westminster tube station it's something under a mile to your hotel, over Westminster Bridge then a slightly mazy walk.

If you take a taxi, stay on the same side of the road (bridge on your left) to hail one - that'll avoid a circum-navigation of Parliament Square.

 

But I'll defer to advice from those who know London better than country-boy JB.

 

JB 🙂

[Globaliser]

11 minutes ago, John Bull said:

One route is the Piccadilly tube line from Heathrow - as @Globaliser's post it's the start of the line so no trouble getting seats & luggage together. Buy tickets to Westminster / Zone One.

Easy cross-platform change at Baron's Court to the District line.

Off that District line train at Westminster.

 

From Westminster tube station it's something under a mile to your hotel, over Westminster Bridge then a slightly mazy walk.

 

For the Hampton, I would actually change again at Westminster. Get on the Jubilee Line. It's only one stop to Waterloo, but if you then follow the way out signs from the Jubilee Line you'll get tipped out on to Waterloo Road. It's only a 300-yard walk from there to the Hampton.

 

Changing at Westminster is step-free via lifts (elevators), and there is step-free exit from the Jubilee Line at Waterloo.

 

For paying on the Tube, I think that the last thing that I would do - literally, in that it's the emergency measure of last resort - is to "buy a ticket". Use a contactless payment card (or buy a pre-pay Oyster, if that's in your plans). Touch in at the gate at the start of journey as you enter the station through the gate line, and touch out at the gate when you exit the station at the end of the journey, and you will be charged the correct fare. (You must do this even if the gates are open, otherwise you'll be charged a penalty fare.) If you use the same payment card all the time, you'll also benefit from daily and weekly (Monday to Sunday) capping, if you use London public transport enough to reach a cap. If you can pay with your payment card via your phone (Apple Pay or Google Pay), that works too. (Much to my constant annoyance, but that's another story.)

 

Given where you're staying, a trip to Windsor should be dead easy. As should getting to Southampton by train. It'll probably be rather faster than doing it by road. The closest entrance for you to Waterloo mainline station for these trains is basically exactly where you get out of the Jubilee Line on to Waterloo Road.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Absolutely agree that you want to be on the Jubilee at Waterloo for this one. OP - as you will find when you get there, Waterloo is a large station, with a complicated Underground element. Different lines have different exits and, as Globaliser says, the Jubilee exit is right on the road for your hotel. Other exits are up a level and across the concourse. Not so bad when you are out and about sightseeing, but not when you first arrive with luggage.
 

But being a maverick, I’d do the Heathrow Express, and then Bakerloo tube from Paddington and try to remember to do an Baker Street shuffle (an almost cross-platform change - it’s a short passageway) on to the Jubilee! But since the £5-50 advance tickets on the HEX went away, this is a more expensive option. 
 

This game is endless for those of us who spend a lot of time travelling around London, I’m afraid. I worked at LHR for a few months a million years ago and spent literally weeks of my life on the Piccadilly line, so will happily pay a small premium not to use it now…. But at least you see you have many public transport options 😀

[Globaliser]

While we're on the topic of alternative routings, can I please suggest a couple of things that the OP (or anyone else with luggage) should try to avoid:

• Do not go by Tube to Waterloo on either the Bakerloo or Northern Lines - there is no step-free exit, so luggage will be a pain. (And the exit is less convenient for the Hampton, anyway, as Cotswold Eagle has said.)
• Do not change from the Piccadilly Line to the Jubilee Line at Green Park, because the signed route is painful (and the lifts are relatively unreliable, so you may have to carry luggage up/down stairs); and using the alternative "cheat" route really requires some experience of handling luggage on escalators, without which that can be very dangerous.

[dickinson]

I am not the OP but have been following because we too are looking into rides from LHR to our hotel, Park Plaza County Hall.  It is near Waterloo.  I have been looking into all options.  Am interested in what might be the fastest and then also price.  If we took the tube, about how long might it take (We get into LHR at 1030)?  What tube lines/stations should we be using?  If we paid for a car service how long would that take at that hour?  

 

Also, does anyone know how long after we get off the plane to allow for getting through everything and getting our luggage?  We will be in T3.  

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

FYI- OP, looks like we come in the day before you but are sailing on a different ship.  We will take the train to Southampton and when disembarking ship use International Friends (we have used them before) for an excursion with drop off at our LHR hotel.

[Globaliser]

19 minutes ago, dickinson said:

... our hotel, Park Plaza County Hall. ... If we took the tube, about how long might it take (We get into LHR at 1030)?  What tube lines/stations should we be using?

 

Directions here from a previous thread (the Park Plaza County Hall is pretty much directly across the street to the north of the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge):

• Bus, Train, Car to Tube from Heathrow
• Bus, Train, Car to Tube from Heathrow

The Tube from Heathrow to Westminster should be just over 60 minutes, plus maybe 10 minutes to walk over the bridge to the hotel.

[dickinson]

@Globaliser Thank you!

[John Bull]

You should clear airport formalities within about 90 minutes.

That's more likely if you have a biometric passport (little camera icon on the front cover) because you can use the machines at immigration instead of joining a line for a manned booth.

 

Timing & routing to your hotel as per @Globaliser's post.

 

So excluding any exceptional delays, aircraft seat to hotel lobby before about 1.30pm (but don't make any commitments for that time).

If you arrive at your hotel before check-in, most hotels will hold your cases for you - you might even get checked-in immediately.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[dickinson]

12 minutes ago, John Bull said:

You should clear airport formalities within about 90 minutes.

That's more likely if you have a biometric passport (little camera icon on the front cover) because you can use the machines at immigration instead of joining a line for a manned booth.

 

Timing & routing to your hotel as per @Globaliser's post.

 

So excluding any exceptional delays, aircraft seat to hotel lobby before about 1.30pm (but don't make any commitments for that time).

If you arrive at your hotel before check-in, most hotels will hold your cases for you - you might even get checked-in immediately.

 

JB 🙂

 

 

Thank you.  I'll look at my passport.  It is USA and I don't remember any camera icon. I did just get it about last March.

 

Edit: checked passport and I DO have camera icon.

Edited January 31 by dickinson

[onyx007]

My thoughts about visiting Windsor/Eton...:

Look at a map: Windsor is beside Heathrow, so you basically first make your way to London to be beside the railway station with the trains bringing you to Southampton just to hop on a tour the next day which will bring you all the way back and past Heathrow...

 

If you don't have to been to London already, make a walk in the morning till check-out time and take the train...(Buckingham Palace is about 30 minutes by foot away, Parliament Square half way)